Aadhaar Signature Verifier - Verify Aadhaar Signature Online

Information Technology Act, 2000 (Sections 4 & 5)

Under Section 5 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, where any law requires information to be authenticated by a signature, that requirement is deemed to be satisfied where the information is authenticated by an electronic signature affixed in the manner prescribed by the Central Government. Section 4 of the same Act also provides legal recognition to electronic records. Accordingly, the Act provides legal recognition to qualifying electronic signatures and electronic records; however, Section 5 does not literally state that an electronic signature has the “same legal standing” as a handwritten signature.

Official text — Information Technology Act, 2000, Sections 4–5: India Code

Aadhaar Act, 2016 & Enrolment Regulations

More specifically, Section 4(3) of the Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, Benefits and Services) Act, 2016 provides that an Aadhaar number, in physical or electronic form, subject to authentication and other conditions specified by regulations, may be accepted as proof of identity of the Aadhaar number holder for any purpose. The provision expressly incorporates the meaning of “electronic form” from the Information Technology Act, 2000.

In addition, Regulation 15(1) of the Aadhaar (Enrolment and Update) Regulations, 2016 permits an Aadhaar number to be communicated to residents in physical form and/or electronic form.

UIDAI Circular Dated 28 April 2017: Strongest Direct Authority

Most importantly, UIDAI issued a specific circular dated 28 April 2017 titled “Validity of downloaded Aadhaar (e-Aadhaar) as Proof of Identity.” The circular expressly states that downloaded e-Aadhaar is a digitally signed document issued by UIDAI and concludes that it is legally valid proof of identity on the same basis as the printed Aadhaar letter.

UIDAI further clarified that downloaded e-Aadhaar is a valid and secure electronic document that should be treated at par with the printed Aadhaar letter, and that Ministries, Departments, State Governments and agencies accepting printed Aadhaar as proof of identity are required to accept downloaded e-Aadhaar as well and not discriminate against it merely because it was downloaded.

Official UIDAI Circular dated 28 April 2017

UIDAI Current FAQ & Printing on Ordinary Paper

UIDAI's current FAQ independently confirms this position and states that “e-Aadhaar is equally valid like Physical Copy of Aadhaar for all purposes.” UIDAI also defines e-Aadhaar as a password-protected electronic copy of Aadhaar, digitally signed by UIDAI.

UIDAI has further stated that a resident may download and print a digitally signed copy of Aadhaar, and that the data printed on the e-Aadhaar is the same as the data on the Aadhaar letter. UIDAI describes e-Aadhaar as a valid and secure electronic document that should be treated on par with the printed Aadhaar letter.

Therefore, a genuine e-Aadhaar downloaded from the official UIDAI system remains legally valid even when printed on ordinary paper. Its validity does not depend upon the paper being the original Aadhaar letter delivered by post.

Verification Procedures & Green Checkmark Clarification

For verification, UIDAI provides mechanisms for establishing the authenticity of Aadhaar documents, including the digitally signed information contained in e-Aadhaar and the secure QR code. The fact that an e-Aadhaar is digitally signed is an important security and authenticity feature. However, it should not be stated as a universal legal requirement that every bank, financial institution, telecom operator or government office must specifically inspect a PKCS#7 certificate in every case. The applicable verification procedure may depend upon the institution and the particular transaction.

Similarly, while the e-Aadhaar document may display a digital-signature validation indicator, such as a valid-signature/verification indication in compatible PDF software, the legal validity of e-Aadhaar does not depend upon a particular colour or “green checkmark.” The authoritative basis is the Aadhaar Act, applicable regulations, UIDAI's official directions, and the authenticity of the UIDAI-issued digitally signed document.